


in kind

by thespianok



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Blood and Injury, Bucky Barnes Feels, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, M/M, Masturbation, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Third Person Limited, Past Child Abuse, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Is Not Helping, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-03-27 13:07:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19013515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thespianok/pseuds/thespianok
Summary: "Oh, um, I'm sorry, how rude of me. Would you, uh, like to come in?" The dragon stumbled in its haste to get the words out, folding one of its wings to the side, as if to point in the direction of the cave.Or, Tony is the virgin sacrifice for Bucky the dragon





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea how long this will be or when I'll be able to update, but I have Ideas for this fic!!
> 
> Un-beta'd

Tony woke to the sound of white noise, unsure as to whether it was from a river rushing nearby or just the ringing in his ears. The grass underneath him was warm from the touch of the midday sun, so he dug his fingers into it's strands, twisting and pulling, trying to ground himself. His clothing - a simple tunic and work trousers - had been torn in places, allowing the sun to scorch his skin, leaving it tight and sore, his mouth dry.

His stomach churned when he first tried to open his eyes. "Fuck," he groaned. Everything was too loud, too bright. He managed to roll himself onto his side, before once again opening his eyes, slower this time.

It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the light, but once they had, he was finally able to take in his surroundings. His hands shook, whether due to his aching muscles or to his fear, he couldn't tell.

He was in the middle of a small clearing, right outside the mouth of a cave. He'd never been this far into the woods before, but he'd heard tales in the village that people who came this far were never seen again. There were a few bones littered just inside of the cave, but Tony couldn't tell whether they were animal or human. He desperately hoped it was the former.

His head gave a sudden throb, making his hands shake, his tired muscles tremble, reminding him of the struggle he had put up last night. His father, the chief in command of the village, had asked him to give himself as the virgin sacrifice for the dragon, so the dragon would leave the people and the livestock of the village alone.

Tony had, of course, refused.

All the while that Tony had struggled against his father's cronies, Howard had reminded him of his duty to protect the village people. Telling him to obey, to be quiet, _don't make a scene._ But Tony had always been a disappointment to his father. So, he didn't listen. Instead, he fought back, kicking and clawing, biting and screaming, until one of them hit him over the head.

A faint red glow ommiting from the cave drew his attention back to the present. It seemed to be getting brighter with every passing second. _It's coming nearer,_ Tony thought. He was frozen with dread, his body keeping him stiff on the ground, unable to move. He felt sick with the fear of what was coming. He always though it would be his father who got him killed, but he never thought that this would be the way he died. Eaten by a dragon whilst unable to even defend himself.

His panic surged when the red glow reached it's peak, a large, blood-red dragon emerging from the depths of its cave. It was smaller than what he had ever imagined, about as large as a wagon. Strangely, Tony felt a wave of calmness wash over him as he took in the unnaturally beauty of the creature. It's wings unfolded in a mighty flourish and it's scales gleamed in the sun. It's front left arm - _arm?_ \- was covered in a metallic armour, slightly duller than the rest of it's body. _At least this is better than being eaten by a troll,_ Tony though.

The creature let out a loud, rumbling growl as it stretched out it's whole body, muscles tensing and relaxing, before finally setting it's gaze on Tony.

"Oh," said the dragon, surprised. "I didn't see you there." Tony could see flashes of the dragon's razor-sharp teeth as it spoke.

Tony blinked owlishly at the dragon, slightly unsure as to what exactly was going on. He didn't know that dragons could talk.

"Are you a human? You are awfully small," the dragon continued. 

"Oh, well, _I'm sorry_ that your sacrifice isn't quite big enough for you," Tony found himself snapping. He never did know when to shut his mouth.

"Sacrifice?" the dragon asked, tilting it's head to the side like a curious puppy.

"Listen, are you going to eat me or not?" 

"Eat you?"

"Are you just going to repeat everything I say?" Tony flinched slightly at his own words. _God, Tony, shut up,_ he thought.

Tony could've sworn that the dragon was laughing at him, enjoying the pre-lunch entertainment. _Playing with its food,_ Tony's mind, unhelpfully, supplied. Its big brown eyes crinkled, Tony could only assume this was due to the hilarity of Tony talking back to it, y'know, _a dragon._ Tony sure did know how to put his foot in it. 

"I am not going to eat you," the dragon's tone was tight with amusement, it's eyes sparkling with mirth, as if someone had told it a really funny joke. Tony supposed that dragons must not hear a lot of jokes.

Tony stared blankly at the dragon, dumbfounded.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry, how rude of me. Would you, uh, like to come in?" The dragon stumbled in its haste to get the words out. Tony wasn't aware of dragon dinner-table etiquette, but he was pretty sure people - _dragons_ \- weren't supposed to be polite to people they were going to eat.

The dragon folded one of its wings to the side, as if to point in the direction of the cave. Completely unsure of what else he could possibly do, Tony made to get up to let himself be guided by the dragon. 

Tony stumbled as he tried to stand, his whole body screaming in agony. A warm, scaled tail wrapped around him, supporting him in his mission of standing up. 

"Are you hurt, little human?"

Tony groaned, both at the pain and at the nickname. "My name's Tony."

"Well, _Tony_ , are you hurt?" the dragon asked. The dragon's rough, lilted voice dragged out Tony's name with a huff, though it's tone was still coloured with concern. Tony wasn't sure what to make of that.

He tried to take a step forward, but pain lanced through his body, rendering him unable to move, to speak, making his head spin. He groaned.

"I will take that as a yes," the dragon said, as it scooped Tony up, supporting his full weight. Tony, energy completely drained, fell once again into blackness, letting his head droop as the dragon carried him into the cave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony being confused seems to be the main theme of this fic so far


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tony is confused and Bucky is cute.

When Tony next woke up, he was laying on a spongy mattress on the floor of the cave, covered by a thin wollen blanket. The first thing he noticed was that the previous throbbing of his head was now reduced to a dull ache at the base of his skull. His tunic had been removed, but fortunately he was still wearing his trousers. The rough material of the blanket didn't irritate his skin, which was soothed, no longer tight or dry, as he would have expected it to be after laying in the harsh light of the sun for so long.

Tony shifted minutely under the blanket, trying not to strain his overtaxed body. This time, when he opened his eyes to take in his surroundings, he was met with the gentle glow of what appeared to be possibly hundereds of candles, which were scattered all around the cave. They were everywhere; in nooks and crannies, melted to the ground or on jaged rocks that stuck out from the cave walls. It was much more cosy than what he expected of a cave, the candles giving off just enough light to see the interior of the cave, to provide warmth. 

He sat up to take in the rest of the cave, pulling the blanket to rest over his shoulders. The cave was warm and dry, and there was no sight of the outside world. _Must be far away from the entrance,_ Tony mused. There were brightly coloured, mismatched blankets and feather-stuffed pillows strewn across the floor of the cave, books scattered around both on the floor and on large boulders. There was even a fireplace, not currently lit, surrounded by furniture; an armchair, a wooden table, a rug, with packed-full book shelves on either side.

Tony had absolutely no idea how all of this could've gotten here, but far be it from him to underestimate a dragon.

Said dragon was nowhere in sight, yet Tony didn't feel the urge to run. There didn't seem to be anything to run _from_. This was hardly where he imagined anyone would want to keep a captive, especially without anyone to watch over him.

A distant clatter caught his attention, and he turned his gaze to the source of the noise. He couldn't see what caused it, but the shadows on the wall mimicked the movement of the dragon moving closer. Tony didn't know what it was about the dragon's cave that made him feel so safe, but he was still wary. He still didn't know what it wanted from him.

After a moment, it came into view, balancing on its tail a plate full of bread and cheese. The look of deep concentration on its face made laughter bubble up in Tony's throat, threatening to spill over.

He managed to turn the laugh into a clearing of his throat, startling the creature into almost dropping the plate. It was only just able to swerve it's tail in time to avoid disaster. It turned it's wide-eyed gaze to Tony, as if only just remembering that he was there.

"Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?" the dragon asked. Tony thought that the creature looked a lot less foreboding in this almost-domestic setting.

"No, I've been awake for a little while," Tony said, a small quirk to his lips. He was still confused as to why this dragon had such good manners. He pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders, snuggling down into it. "What was that noise?"

"Trying to make human food when you've got claws is hard," the dragon supplied. It shuffled closer to Tony, placed the plate on the floor, then pushed it over to him using it's tail.

"Right," Tony said destractedly. His main focus was getting this bread and cheese into his body as quickly as possible.

While Tony dug into the food, the dragon shuffled awkwardly, as if unsure of what to do with itself. At least Tony wasn't alone in that department.

"You like it?" the dragon asked, tail flicking from side to side. It's feet shuffled nervously.

Tony paused before taking his next bite, "Uhm, yeah. It's really good, thank you." 

Tony swore that the dragon fucking _preened_. It's chest puffed up, looking proud as punch. He honestly had no idea how a dragon could look so pleased with itself. It was a little bit endearing. He mulled over that odd thought as he finished off the food.

Only when Tony was finished did the dragon settle down. Left with nothing else to occupy his time with, he eyed the dragon up, but obviously, as it was a dragon, it was a lot harder to get a read on it than it would another human.

"Are you feeling better?" the dragon asked. "I used some ointment on your bruises and on your sun burns." The dragon swished it's tail throughout the air to demonstrate the motions of applying ointment.

"I'm feeling much better, actually," Tony said. "A little bit thirsty though."

"There's a river just outside of the cave for drinking water," the dragon said, "but I can't get that for you, for obvious reasons."

Right. _Because of the claws,_ Tony thought. Claws which could tear him to shreds in under two minutes. 

"So, not that I don't appreciate the whole 'I'm not going to eat you' thing, but my village really don't love the fact that you're here." Tony hated saying it, the dragon looked crestfallen.

"Oh, I didn't realise I was bothering anyone." The dragon bowed it's head and curled up it's tail, looking so upset that Tony almost wanted to reassure it.

When the dragon had first showed up in the skies a few weeks ago, the village began to panic. The people had circulated rumours about all kinds of evil magical creatures before, such as trolls and werewolves, vampires and sirens. It seemed that after the dragon came to their forest, all energy was focused on making sure everyone knew of their dangers. The dragon hadn't caused any trouble yet, but the villagers were sure that it was only a matter of time before livestock, or humans, started to disappear.

Tony had never met a dragon before, and he was beginning to seriously doubt that anyone from his village had either.

"Well, you bothered my father enough for him to send me here," Tony said. He twisted the edge of the blanket in his hands, feeling the urge to get moving and _be productive_ despite his sore muscles. "My village thinks that you'll be stealing our livestock to eat, so they sent me for you to eat instead."

"You did not come willingly?" the dragon asked, looking genuinely curious.

"I don't really consider it very fun to get eaten by a dragon," the dragon in question opened its mouth as if to object, so Tony quickly finished, "yes, I know you're not going to eat me, but I didn't know that _then._ "

"Well, since you know now, why don't you go back and tell them that I'm not going to eat any of them?" the dragon asked, brightening.

Tony snorted. "Yeah, like that'll go over well. 'Hi father, the dragon says that it won't hurt us or our livestock, you have every reason to believe it,' yeah, _right._ " His tone dripped with sarcasm. 

"My name is _Buchanan_ and I am _male,_ " it - _he_ \- huffed, nose flaring in offense.

"That's what you took out of that? That I was referring to you incorrectly?"

"Well, I found it quite offensive. Names are sacred things, they tell a lot about a person."

"Anyway, I don't really think there's anything I can do to change the villagers' minds," Tony said. He took a deep breath, still twisting his hands, trying to stop their shaking. "And I don't think they'll appreciate it if I go back."

"Alright, I understand." The dragon - _Buchanan_ \- looked entirely as though he did not understand. "You will stay with me."

Being honest with himself, Tony hadn't thought at all about what he'd do, he was so sure that he would be eaten. Going back was definitely off the table, but he had friends there - _God, what would Pepper and Rhodey think_ \- and he had work to do. There was nothing for him in a cave with only a dragon for company. But winter was fast approaching and he'd never make it to the next town over before the first snow fell, he'd freeze to death in no time. He really has no other option but to stay here, at least until the first bloom of spring.

He just wished he was back in his village, in the metal forge, making swords or armour or ornaments for the villagers. He already missed the heat of the forge and the hard work he did - not out of necessity, but just because he _liked_ it and was good at it. He felt at home there, more so than he did anywhere else. Definitely a lot more than he did in his really home.

He made up his mind, thoughts of his father pushing him into saying, "yeah, I'm going to stay here." What did he have to lose?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have my last exam soon and then I should have some extra time to devote to this fic, which I'm really enjoying writing. Hope you're all enjoying reading too!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings: Some past child abuse
> 
> Also, some porn!

The next day, the weather was bright and clear and just warm enough for Tony to brave having a wash in the river. Yesterday, after his conversation with Buchanan, he had been left to his own devices as the dragon had, he assumes, flown away to hunt for food. This assumption had not yet been confirmed, as he was asleep by the time Buchanan returned. But his sleep had left him feeling sweaty and dirty, so he was grateful when the weather allowed him to bathe.

The dragon had provided him with breakfast, which he was made to cook himself. It consisted of fresh eggs, which he scrambled, and various herbs that he discovered had been growing in a small plantation that Buchanan kept. Tony thought that he really should learn to expect the unexpected when it came to Buchanan.

After breakfast, he decided to leave his plate to wash until after he himself had bathed. Buchanan had yet to wake from his slumber, so he showed himself out of the cave and took a stroll down to the river.

The grass was lush under his feet, birds chirping merrily around him from the trees. Bushes of flowers still held their blooms, leaving a pleasant fragrance in the air. It wasnt quite warm, but it wasn't cold either, so Tony felt comfortable enough with stripping off his clothes, leaving them folded on the side of the river and stepping right in.

The water was much colder than the air, and even though Tony had expected it, the cold still made goosebumps rise all over his naked body. The water was running gently past him, pleasantly sliding across his skin. He took his time, meticulously washing each inch of his skin.

The sun continued to rise as he bathed, warming the air, the water and his skin. The water glistened in the light, the grass and the leaves on the trees appearing to become greener with every passing moment. The water relaxed his muscles, leaving him slightly sleepy by the time he was done.

This was perhaps the most at peace he had ever felt, outside of the metal forge, of course.

Soon enough, he deemed himself clean and made to get out of the river. It was only then that he realised that he hadn't brought anything to dry off with. He contemplated the benefits of using his tunic, before noticing that it was dirty and would just undo all of the work he had done cleaning off. His only option was to relax in the grass and wait for the sun to dry his skin.

He laid back, worrying over having no clean clothes to wear. It would kind of defeat the purpose to put his dirty clothes back on once he was dry, but he didn't really have any other option.

Sighing, he stretched out on the grass, arms resting above his head. Realising that he had plenty of time to himself, he began to drag his hands down his body, from his chest to his thighs. He scraped his nails up his stomach to his nipples, encouraging them to pebble as he played with them, pinching and tugging, moaning softly. He arched his back, pushing into the sensation, his cock starting to harden. 

Teasing himself, he slid his hands back down his body, caressing the sensitive skin on his inner thighs before pinching it. He then moved on to his perinium, pushing his finger against the skin there and gasping. His fingers brushed against his hole, but he reluctantly moved on from that area, aware that he didn't have anything to slick the way.

He gently rolled his balls in one hand, spitting into the other before wrapping it around his dick, bringing it to full hardness. He worked himself over quickly, his grip more firm at the base, twisting his hand at the tip. The hand that was teasing the soft skin between his balls moved back to his nipples, pinching one and then the other.

His cock leaked pre-come onto his stomach as his hand sped up. His hips fucked up into his fist as his pleasure built. He was moaning loud, both hands now on his dick, one fisting the shaft while the other focused on rubbing that bundle of nerves just underneath the head.

One final twist of his wrist pushed him over the edge, causung him to cry out in pleasure. Warm come coated his stomach, his hips jerking upwards in the aftershocks. He let his hands fall above his head, basking in the afterglow, chest rising and falling quickly as he tried to catch his breath.

Realising he was dirty once again, he returned to the river, cupping his hands in the water to bring it to his body. After cleaning off, he settled back down on the grass to dry.

He soon became aware of soft footfalls coming closer to him, panic rising at the sign of possible danger. Once Buchanan came into view, he was relieved for all of the two seconds it took him to realise that he was sitting stark naked in front of the dragon. 

He hunched over in an attempt to hide himself, embarased. Buchanan's nostrils flared before he spoke, "I can bring you some clean clothes, if you would like."

Tony flushed in embarrassment, but he managed to nod his head in affirmation. Buchanan turned to get the clothes, leaving Tony sitting on the grass for the few minutes it took him to return. Earlier, Tony had felt relaxed lazing about in no clothes, but the thought of almost being caught pleasuring himself left him curled up in embarrassment, awkward in his own skin.

When Buchanan returned, clothes clutched in his tail, Tony didn't want to get up to dress for fear of exposing himself. Since Tony hadn't moved, Buchanan placed the clothes on the ground in front of him. Tony was about to reach for the clothes until he realised that the dragon in front of him hadn't turned around.

"Um," he coughed, but Buchanan didn't seem to get the hint. The dragon stared intently at him, encouraging him to put on the clothes that he had brought.

"Don't worry, they're clean," he said, as if that was what Tony was really worried about.

Tony had no idea how to respond, so he grabbed the clothes and started pulling them on. The trousers were so loose that they rested low on his hips, so long that they needed to be rolled up around his ankles. The shirt slipped over one shoulder, the sleeves engulfing his hands.

"Sorry I didn't have anything that would fit you better," the dragon said, looking entirely not sorry at all.

"That's...okay. Whose clothes are these?" Tony asked, his residual embarrassment coating the tone of his words.

"They're mine. I... stole them?"

"Really? You don't sound too sure about that." Tony couldn't help the smirk that played across his features. He still felt far too vulnerable, but what better way to cover it up than through the use of sarcasm?

"Yes! I stole them," Buchanan huffed, defensive. "Dragons are very good at stealing things."

"Including livestock?" Tony, for whatever insane reason, enjoyed trying to get a rise out of Buchanan. It wasn't a very difficult thing to do. Hearing the dragon huff in annoyance sparked a kind of joy in his chest that he had only felt before while teasing Pepper or making Rhodey gasp with laughter.

"I don't steal livestock!" Buchanan snapped, affronted.

"Sure you don't," Tony said, practically _glowing_ with glee. "Why were there bones inside of the cave then?" Said bones were no longer there when he had left the cave this morning, but he thought it only fair to bring them up to tease the dragon as payback for the fear they had caused him at first. The knowledge that Buchanan wouldn't eat him eased the fear that they were human bones. The thought had crossed his mind that this was just a ploy to get him to trust the dragon, but what would Buchanan gain from that? 

"Sorry about that," Buchanan said, suddenly quiet. His body betrayed his feelings as his tail curled around himself and he hung his head, sheepish. "I wasn't expecting company."

Buchanan's earnest response shocked Tony. He started to apologise until he saw the half-smirk on the dragon's mouth.

"Oh, ha-ha, you got me," Tony snarked, surprised that the dragon had managed to trick him into thinking that Tony had genuinely offended him. People rarely responded well to Tony's snark. Although, being honest, a lot of times that he had talked back to people in the past hadn't been in order to gain a playful reaction from them.

_"Do as your father says, boy. I know it's hard, I understand. But after all he's done for you I think the least you could do to repay him is get dressed in your finest clothes and attend the dinner with the Council Elders. They need to see that you're going to uphold the demands of your mantle and do whatever is needed to protect this village, just as your father has done."_

_Tony had been generally as stubborn and infuriating as usual. Of course, that meant Obediah was sent to 'fix' his attitude._

_"Ah yes, all of those times my father has done something 'for the village' were definitely not for his own personal gain."_

_"Anthony, don't be difficult. I know you're only young and you don't yet understand the weight on your fathers shoulders. You can't possibly understand the decisions he makes."_

_"Don't make it seem like I'm the stupid one here!_ He's _the one who only thinks about himself and leaves others to clean up his messes!"_

_The hand clasped around the back of his neck came hard and unwanted, pulling him into a harsh embrace that allowed Obediah to spit the words into his face, "you will do as your father says, or he'll do much worse to you than I ever will. Am I understood?"_

_Tony, remembering the birch his father had used the last time he had spoken out of turn, could only nod his head in response._

They made their way back to the cave soon after Tony had dressed. Buchanan quickly settled down in a nest of blankets, tail curling around one corner of a thick red blanket to pull it over himself. Tony could hear him huff out a heavy sigh from where he had settled himself on the mattress.

He raised his head and caught Buchanan gazing forlornly at a closed book in front of him. After a minute, he sighed again and slumped his head against the ground.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Tony asked. He couldn't help it, not really. Buchanan just looked so miserable.

"I can't open the book," Buchanan whined. Actually _whined._ Tony almost laughed, but the dragon looked so sad that it was impossible to do.

"Would you like a hand?" Tony had honestly never seen anyone brighten up so fast. It was dizzying.

"You'd help me?" The childlike glee in Buchanan's voice made Tony's chest feel tight with The knowledge that he had caused it. He had made someone so happy.

"Of course I'll help you." The raw vulnerability in his voice almost made him cringe. He was definitely scared, he could tell by the tightening of his chest. Scared of being vulnerable around anyone other than Pepper or Rhodey. But Buchanan was so earnest that he was nearly impossible to say no to. He couldn't be certain that the dragon wouldn't hurt him, but wasn't it worth it to make him so happy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to increase chapter length, but I have so little time to write, so they might take a little longer. Bare with me!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings: minor injury mentioned, blood mentioned

It went on like that for the following few days. Tony would hold open a book for Buchanan, turning the page when instructed. They would sit curled up under blankets, using the candle light to see. The candles never seemed to stop glowing, which Tony chalked up to be some kind of magic. Occasionally, Buchanan would light the fire they would sit, surrounded by blankets, huddled around it.

When Buchanan was out, Tony would sleep, still recovering from his injuries. He still didnt know where the dragon went or what he was doing, but he didn't want to know, really. On some level he was scared of the answer. He didn't want to ruin this idea of Buchanan that he had built up in his head. That he didn't kill, he was too nice for that. Tony knew he was probably being naive, just because the dragon didn't kill him, doesn't mean he doesn't kill at all.

They didn't talk. Not about anything important, anyway. When Buchanan needed help, he asked. The only issue was, the more Buchanan asked for help, the less he talked to Tony outside of that. He seemed more withdrawn, disheartened. The time they spent together seemed tense. Tony had always been a chatterbox, but he didn't want to make Buchanan even more upset than he already was by saying something out of turn. He just wishes he could ask what was wrong. He wishes he could help.

The issue was, Tony knew he had to say something about Buchanan's outings. He knew that the village didn't like seeing him; it made them scared. He knew that they would assume Tony had run away, or that the dragon had eaten him and carried on wreaking havoc anyway. He knew they wouldn't be happy. But he didn't want to upset Buchanan.

It was only on the fifth day, when Buchanan came back from a flight in a flurry of wind, that Tony realised he should have mentioned something earlier. The dragon, dragging leaves behind him as he stumbled into the cave, flexed his wings in agitation as soon as he was close enough.

It was only then that Tony noticed the arrow sticking out from between his scales, blood dripping steadily down his side.

 _"Shit,_ what happened?" Tony asked, panicked. In reply, Buchanan let out a high whine in pain and then sank to the ground, keeping his right wing in the air so it didn't worsen the wound, which was located right underneath it.

"Right, not important at the minute. What do I do?" Tony pondered, more to himself than anything else. He didn't know what to do with himself, hands tugging at his own hair, bouncing on his heels. His mind was in overdrive, a flurry of thought that he couldn't slow down. Unfortunately, that also made it very hard to grasp at answers.

"Pull it out," Buchanan rasped.

_"What?"_

"Pull the arrow out!"

"I'm not going to pull it out! You'll bleed to death!" _This is really getting quite ridiculous,_ Tony thought.

"I heal fast, I just need to get the arrow out. I can't do it myself, I need you to do it for me," Buchanan explained, the tension in his voice making his pain evident. Even so, he was patient with Tony, taking his time to explain despite the gravity of the situation. "Get me a blanket and cover the wound after you pull it out."

"Okay, alright, no problem. I can do that," Tony muttered, grabbing the closest blanket to him. There was a wide array of them to choose from, but Tony supposed the colour of the blanked didn't much matter. It would end up red anyways.

Bracing himself, Tony grabbed the arrow, trying not to focus on the grunt off pain Buchanan let out at the first tug, or on the sickening squelch it made as he pulled it out. He quickly covered the wound with the blanket, holding it tight against Buchanan's scales.

Buchanan released a sigh, letting his elevated wing drop to the ground in relief. Of course, by doing so he accidentally pinned Tony to his side, as he was still holding the blanket the the wound. It probably shouldn't have been surprising to Tony that it was so warm under the wing, flush against Buchanan's body.

"Oh, sorry," the dragon was quick to say. "This is really the only way I'll be able to heal comfortably, is that okay?"

"Uh, yeah," Tony laughed, awkward. To say that he was uncomfortable would just be a complete lie. It was so cosy under there that Tony just wanted to curl up and have a nap. "So, what happened?"

Buchanan let out a heavy sigh. "Villagers," was all he said. He really didn't have to say anything more, Tony understood.

"I'm sorry," Tony responded. It was his fault, after all. He had known that this would happen eventually, yet he still hadn't talked to Buchanan about the potential threat from the villagers once they realised the sacrifice hadn't worked.

"Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for," Buchanan didn't hesitate in his reply. 

"It was my fault you got shot. I knew that my village would be angry if they saw you flying, and I didn't stop you."

"I'm not an idiot, I knew the risks of going out. I didn't stop, and you couldn't have stopped me," Buchanan insisted. Tony still felt guilt eating at his insides, but he was somewhat mollified. 

"Okay, so, we were both idiots. Where do we go from here?" Tony asked.

"Well," Buchanan huffed, "they're most likely going to send some hunters up here to check if they managed to kill me."

Tony shivered at the thought that Buchanan could have died. It was only after a few moments that the weight of Buchanan's words sank in. The village hunters were coming here.

"Oh, shit."

Buchanan snorted. It was a strange noise to hear from a dragon.

"So," Tony sighed. "What's the plan?"

The silence that followed Tony's question was almost palpable. Buchanan shuffled his feet before finally saying softly, "I don't have one?"

Tony took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Under his hands, the blood was slowing as the wound healed. He focused on that as he tried desperately not to let the dread sink in. He was embowered in fear, like walls closing in all around him, squeezing him tight until he split apart from the tension.

"It's alright, though," Buchanan was quick to assure, his cadence low and gentle in order to soothe Tony. "I know somewhere we can go."

"Oh?"

"Before I say anything more, I would just like to take this time to remind you that I would never let any harm come to you if I could help it."

"I really do _not_ like where this is going."

"Just... trust me?" Buchanan asked, trepidation colouring his tone. "I know you have no reason to, but the only way for us to get away from the hunters is to leave, and there's only one place I know that is completely safe."

"Alright," Tony let out on a long breath.

"Alright?"

"Alright, I trust you. Don't make me regret it."

Buchanan looked delighted. "I won't," he said, eyes soft for a moment. He quickly became alert, however, when the seriousness of the situation set in. He took control like he was born to do so. "Grab a warm blanket and wrap it around your body."

Tony didn't want to acknowledge the warmth that spread though his body at the command. This was neither the time nor the place to unpack what it meant. He swiftly moved to obey, thanking whatever diety that was out there that it was dark enough that the heat in his cheeks would not be visible.

Once he had the blanket securely tucked around him, Buchanan lowered himself to the ground.

"Good, now climb on."

Tony paused, eyes wide.

"Climb on... you?"

"Yes, Tony," Buchanan sighed.

Tony braced himself before sliding one leg over Buchanan side, straddling him. He never thought he'd ever be in a situation like this one. 

"Hold on tight," was all the warning Tony got before Buchanan lurched forward, heading for the mouth of the cave. It wasn't long after that that Buchanan was beating his wings, raising them up off the ground. 

Tony could only cling desperately to Buchanan's neck as the dragon took them higher and higher in to the chilly night's air.


	5. Chapter 5

Tony had never been so far away from the village before. Honestly, he had no idea where they were. Buchanan had taken them so deep into the forest that he'd never be able to make it back on foot. Not that he'd ever want to go back.

Flying had been exhilarating; terrifying and dizzying and freeing all at once. Up in the air, he had been confronted with the awareness that he could fall at any time, yet comforted by the knowledge that Buchanan would never let him go. He had never felt so alive. 

Buchanan had brought them to a rather large clearing, shadowed by dark wood trees and a steep mountain of jagged rocks, coated in moss. The only source of light was the glimmers of the setting sun that shone through the tree branches. Tony shivered. He had heard that a lot of strange creatures came out to play after sunset, and none of them had a particularly pleasant reputation.

Buchanan turned to him, managed to get out a quick "don't worry," right before the air was filled with a deep, rumbling sound. It shook the ground under their feet, the rocks on the cliff wall trembling. Of course, Tony was worried.

Before Tony could even begin to guess what was going on, the shaking intensified as the cliff wall seemed to split open. Light came spilling out of the crack as it expanded. _Huh,_ Tony thought, _a secret door. That's handy._

Tony turned to Buchanan, a 'what the _fuck,'_ on his lips, only to see him light up as a smaller, dark blue dragon came tumbling out of the cave. The tiny thing was practically tripping over it's tail to get to them, and Tony instinctively took a step back. It skidded to a halt just before it crashed into Buchanan, it's mouth wide open in the imitation of a grin. "Bucky!" was all it said.

 _What the Hell is a Bucky?_ Tony thought.

"Stevie!" came Buchanan's reply, grinning right back. Tony supposed they weren't in danger, then. "How're you doing, squirt?"

The tiny dragon squawked, presumably in outrage at the nickname. "I've been doing fine, thank you very much," he said. 

The indignation in his voice made something in Tony ease up, there was no doubt in his mind that this tiny dragon was a friend.

"Looks like you've been busy," the dragon said, turning his gaze to Tony.

"Ah, yeah, about that. Can we stay for a while?"

"You know youre always welcome here." The dragon paused for a moment. Then, quieter, "you're the one that left, remember?"

"Steve," was Buchanan's soft reply. "Not now."

"Right." It was slightly tense.

"This is Tony. Tony, this is my _best friend,_ Steve." The emphasis that he put on 'best friend' made Steve relax a bit, and he grinned at Tony.

"Yeah? And how do you know Bucky, Tony?"

Tony was, needless to say, confused. "I'm not sure I do?"

Buchanan laughed. This was the happiest Tony had ever seen him. "Bucky is a nickname, short for Buchanan."

"Oh," Tony breathed, feeling rather stupid. "In that case, it's a long story."

"We have ti-" Steve began, but he was cut off by a sharp howl, coming from somewhere to their right, not too far from where they were standing. "But not here, I suppose. Come inside."

*

This cave had a similar setup to Buchanan's cave, although the door at the mouth was a nice addition. Blankets littered the ground and they walked further and further into the cave. The entire area was illuminated by small orbs floating in the air, all letting out a soft, warm glow.

The further inside they walked, the clearer it became that they weren't alone. A loud bark of laughter split through the air, chatter from in the distance reaching their ears, becoming louder with each step.

After walking for what seemed to Tony to be forever, the cave started to widen into a room. The room in question was vast and bustling with life, full of dragons, people, light, movement. Pots and dishes full of a selection of different food covered all of the surfaces, the mix of sweet and spicy scents coating Tony's tongue and filling his lungs. The energy of the room was intoxicating.

When they entered the room, choruses of "Hey, Bucky," met Tony's ears. He shuffled his feet, restless and out of place. He wasn't scared, he had no reason to be, not really. They were clearly welcome here. Tony was certain that, if they hadn't been, they wouldn't have made it this far.

Buchanan nudged Tony further into the room with his wing, following close behind him. Tony was thankful that he hadn't been abandoned in favour of the other dragons and people in the room.

Tony had a lot of questions to ask Buchanan when they were alone.

"Can we um-" Buchanan started. "Is my room still-?"

"Of course your room is still here," replied one of the other dragons. It's scales were a fiery red, it's smile sharp. It only just managed to come across as somewhat kind. It was terrifying. Tony made a mental note not to get on this dragon's bad side. "I suppose you both must be tired after your journey here."

Tony honestly had no idea how long they were flying, but it must have been around midday when they set off, and the sun had already set when they arrived. Now he thought about it, he was rather tired.

"Thanks, Tasha. I think we'll just try to get some sleep for now."

"Of course," came Steve's reply. "I still want that catch up in the morning, though."

The look in his eye told Tony that they would not be able to get out of it.

*

Buchanan had grabbed a small bundle of food for them both, before leading Tony through hallways upon hallways to his room. Although, it was more of a nest than anything else, covered in swirls of blankets and fluffy pillows. Just like the other cave.

Buchanan flopped down on top of the biggest bundle of blankets with a heavy sigh. His eyes closed and his wings drooped against the ground.

Tony, feeling utterly overwhelmed, began nibbling at the food they had brought. 

"What is this place?" Tony felt that he was entitled to some answers. 

Buchanan opened one eye to look at Tony, huffing. "This is our den. It's like a human home."

"So this is your family?" The questions were buzzing around Tony's head, fast and dizzying.

"Kind of. Not a family like you humans have. We have blood mates, siblings, I think you call them. And then we have pack mates," Buchanan explained. He sounded tired, which Tony couldn't understand. The energy of this place was making his skin almost physically ache, his insides feeling too big for his tiny body.

"Do you have any blood mates?"

"I do. Becca is my younger blood mate, everyone else here is a pack mate."

"Have I met Becca?"

"No," Buchanan sounded weary. "You've met Steve, then there was Natasha, Clint, Thor, Bruce and Maria. There are others, but none of them are here at the minute."

"Wait, but there are some other humans here. Who are they?"

"Tony," Buchanan started, exasperation clear in his tone. "Let's not do this right now. Get some sleep, I'll explain in the morning."

"But-"

"Tony, sleep."

"Are you not going to have anything to eat?"

Buchanan raised his head at that, as if he had forgotten that they had any food in the first place. "Oh. Pass me the lamb?"

Instead, Tony brought the entire bundle over to him, and settled himself beside the dragon so he could carry on eating. 

"You seem stressed," Tony said gently.

Buchanan let a long breath out through his nose. "I wasn't planning on coming back here so soon." It was spoken so softly that Tony almost didn't hear it.

"We don't have to talk about it," Tony responded, his voice a whisper.

The corners of Buchanan's mouth quirked upwards. "But you want to," he huffed.

"Yeah, but you don't."

"Maybe some other time, Tony. Just not right now," Buchanan murmured. "We really should get some sleep."

Buchanan pushed the bundle of food away with his tail, then lifted his wing to wrap around Tony.

"Is this okay?" Buchanan asked, his voice warm and welcoming. Soothing. "The cave tends to get cold at night, I don't want you catching a chill."

The worry on Tony's behalf warmed something inside of him. He let out a sigh, relaxing into Buchanan's side. 

"Yeah, this is okay."

Despite all of the unanswered questions still fluttering around his mind, Tony managed to fall asleep surprisingly quickly that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My discord is thespianok #4114 if any of you want to pop in for a chat!! :)


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Tony woke up with his face squished against a hard set of scales. They were smooth and waxy against the sleep-warm skin of his cheek, and he couldn't resist rubbing his face against them in his half-awake daze. Somewhere in the sleepy molasses of his mind, he was aware of a soft, amused rumbling sound that was coming from somewhere above him, but he couldn't concern himself with trivial things like that when instead he could bask in the comfort provided by his not-fully-conscious state.

Tony is jolted from his slumber by a sudden movement beside him. He blinked his eyes open, and was confronted with the image of Buchanan shifting around next to him, a comic look of concentration on his face. He seemed to be slowly trying to shift away from Tony, unfortunately taking all of the warmth away too. Tony groaned, shivering.

Buchanan startled, turning his gaze to Tony with a sheepish smile on his face. "I didn't mean to wake you, sorry," he said softly.

Seeing Tony shiver for a second time, he swiftly scooped up a thick, heavy blanket with his tail and draped it over Tony. He couldn't properly cover Tony with it; his tail couldn't do everything that a pair of hands would be able to. The sentiment warmed Tony nonetheless. He couldn't really help the way that he pulled the blanked up to his face as nuzzled into the soft fabric.

Buchanan huffed in amusement, but Tony was too warm and sleepy to care.

"I'm going to see what I can find us for breakfast." Tony was starving. "I'll be right back." With that, the dragon wandered out of the den, tail swaying behind him.

Tony had no way to judge the time due to the perpetual darkness of the cave, but he felt as if he had gotten enough sleep, which was a strange occurrence for him. Something about the serene softness of Buchanan's nest just made him feel at ease. He wondered idly if there was some kind of spell on the place to make it so peaceful.

Tony sat up as Buchanan trotted back into the den and proudly placed his findings on the ground in front of Tony. He thought that Buchanan must eat more elsewhere, because surely a few slices of meat, some bread and a chunk or two of cheese couldn't be enough to fill up a dragon. 

Tony tucked into the food that Buchanan had so kindly brought him, turning questions over in his mind, trying to find the right one to ask, wondering if this was the best time for it. _Perhaps,_ he thought, _I should leave it for now._

*

When Tony and Buchanan finally emerged from the den and entered the room that Tony had so cleverly figured out was the communal area, they were met with curious stares. A group of dragons were lounging around, some talking quietly to one another. Tony spotted Steve and Natasha, but he had no idea who the rest of them were. He noted that there were no humans this time.

"Good night's sleep?" It was Natasha who had asked, and it took Tony probably longer than it should have to realise that the question was aimed at him. Tony looked around, wide eyed, at the other dragons, only to see that he was the full focus of everyone's attention.

"Uh, yeah," Tony stuttered out ineloquently. His voice seemed almost out of place in a room so big, and he couldn't help flushing in embarasment.

"Good," was all Natasha said, her sharp teeth flashing in a huge grin. Tony didn't see what was so funny, but he smiled back anyway, head tilted to one side in confusion.

Natasha turned her gaze to Buchanan, her face still stretched in a grin. "Why don't you both come and join us?"

"Fantastic idea!" one of the other dragons said, delighted and _loud,_ making Tony jump.

Everyone in the room seemed to light up, everyone chiming in that they wanted to get to know Tony, wanted to know how Tony knew _Bucky._ Tony wanted to say back that he didn't actually know Buchanan all that well, he wanted to say that it doesn't matter how he met Buchanan. He wanted to know where they were, what they were going to do, where he would go from here.

But what Tony wants has never really mattered, has it?

_"You're going there to support your father. Isn't that what you want, Tony?" Stane was looming above him, eyes tight, smile wide. Fists clenched, his body a taught line of suppressed aggression, he must know how formidable he appears._

_"You know it's not," Tony sighed. He was dressed in his finest silks, ready to sit beside his father at the Council of Elders. The Council met once a month, discussing a number of pressing matters regarding the major events that occurred in the village. The Council comprised 10 old men, including his father, but heirs could sit in to support their sponsors._

_As it was, the system wouldn't be effective even if the dinner at the High Table wasn't filled with arguments over which issues to brush under the rug, even if every Elder there wasn't lying through his Goddamn teeth to the others. Tony couldn't help but think about how much his mother would have hated to see the man that his father had become after her death._

_Tony_ hated _going. He knew every single Elder was just as corrupt as he knew his father to be. And by inviting the heirs, they were just breeding more corruption, uncaring of the consequences for the ordinary villagers. Tony was just lucky that he had had Rhodes and Pepper to teach him what life for the ordinary was actually like, before his father had managed to blacken his mind too much to recover from._

_"Tony, don't be difficult." He waved his hand dismissively. "Of course you want to support your father! It's just what you were raised for," Stane laughed. His eyes held no mirth whatsoever._

_Supporting his father is the last thing Tony wants to do, but he has learned by now that there's no point in arguing._

Tony plastered on a smile, although he knew that he couldn't manage to make it look all that sincere. He had practically just woken up, but he felt tired all over again at the thought of explaining himself to this group of dragons.

He turned to look at Buchanan, somewhat relieved to note that he didn't look so keen to join them either. 

Tony was just about to accept his miserable fate when a smaller red dragon wandered into the room. Upon seeing that Buchanan was there, they let out an in-human screech and launched themselves at Buchanan, not stopping until the two of them had collided. Tony stepped back on instinct, not wanting to end up in the heap of flailing wings and tails.

Once the pair had stopped trying to push one another into the ground, Buchanan turned back to Tony. 

"This is my blood mate, Becca." Buchanan was adorably breathless, a delighted grin stretching across his face, eyes squeezed shut in his joy.

"Oh. It's nice to meet you, Becca. I'm Tony," he introduced himself to the dragon. Her ears perked up at the sound of his name. The rest of the room was suspiciously silent.

"Bucky! You didn't tell me that you had met your _bond mate."_ Becca had squeeled at first, but the last two words were whispered with a sort of gentle reverence, so Tony knew that they were important. And he knew that they were talking about him. But he had no idea what they meant.

"Becca!" Buchanan snapped, tail twitching in agitation. It was such a sudden shift from the joy that had been practically radiating off of him not even two minutes ago. Tony couldn't help his flinch, even though he was certain that the anger wasn't aimed at him. He hadn't done anything to warrant Buchanan's anger, he reminded himself.

Buchanan must have noticed Tony's sudden distress, because he immediately gentled. Becca looked upon them with wide eyes.

Buchanan sighed. "Just... leave it, Becca."

"But-"

_"Please,_ Becca."

"Alright, Bucky. I'll leave it for now," she said. Tony knew that the siblings would most likely revisit the conversation another time. He was still very confused, though. 

The ringing silence was only broken by another dragon wandering into the communal area. They had dark grey scales, almost black, with the sharpest claws out of every dragon there. 

"Hey, Bucky. It's nice to have you back," they said, voice kind. 

"Thank you, Maria. I'd say it's nice to be back, but now I have to put up with this one again," Buchanan joked, tail pointing at Becca. His earlier anger seemed to have dissipated, but there was still a deep weariness in his voice. 

"Yeah, I still don't know how I manage it," Maria laughed, earning an affronted "hey!" from Becca.

"It's Steve's turn for trap rounds," Natasha chimed in, deadly smile once again on her face. "Bucky, you should go with him."

Buchanan cast his gaze upon Tony. "I don't think that's such a good idea, Nat."

Tony could only look around at the dragons in the room in puzzlement.

"Why not?" he asked Buchanan. As much as he didn't want to be left alone with a group of dragons he didn't know, he also knew that Buchanan needed time alone with Steve to catch up.

"Yeah, Bucky, why not?" Steve repeated, his ears perking up. "C'mon, it'll be just like old times." 

Buchanan just huffed, still looking oddly at Tony. 

"Oh, stop twining, Bucky," Natasha snapped, tone sharp. "None of us are going to hurt your ανεκτίμητος. You'd know if we did, anyway." Tony was surprised to hear her speak in the Old Language, one that had long since died out in their village.

"I know, Nat." Tony wanted to know how everyone else seemd to know things, because he was utterly lost. "You know how it is, though."

Natasha gentled. "Yeah, Bucky, I do."

*

Buchanan left with Steve soon after that, leaving Tony on his own. He didn't feel comfortable being around the other dragons, for obvious reasons. Instead of standing idly by, trying to explain things that he didn't understand to the other dragons, he quickly made his way back to Buchanan's den, thinking he could do a bit of snooping to pass the time. He hoped that he might find something that would provide him with answers to at least some of his questions.

The den was rather small -- not to Tony, but he assumed it would be for a dragon -- and it held a quaint sort of charm. Unlike the other cave, this one was lit up with little orbs of waxy yellow light, not excluding the den. It made the rooms look cosy and homely. Tony didn't know much about dragon magic, but he wasn't yet curious enough to risk himself by trying to figure out how an orb worked. He had much more important things to do.

In the den, there was a small alcove that held stacks of books, which he found to be written in the Old Language. Tony crouched down to get a better look at them. There were loose pieces of parchment resting between the pages of some of the books, most of them had writing on, once again in the Old Language, but some of them had charcoal drawings on them. The drawings were always of nature; flowers, mountains, trees. Tony sighed in frustration. There was nothing here with answers for him.

Tony rose from his crouch, intending to lay down and think over his questions until Buchanan returned. His plans were foiled when, after taking a step, his foot came down on something solid protruding from underneath a blanket. Tony paused. He stooped down, swiftly pushing the blanket to one side, only to reveal another book. Tony let out a frustrated breath, but picked the book up anyways.

He flicked it open to the first page. Sketches. Of dragons. And humans. Tony scrambled to sit down, continuing to look through the charcoal sketches. They were all beautiful, but otherwise unimportant. He froze when he turned the next page. The drawing was incredibly detailed, showing a wilderness of trees upon a mountain in the background, and groupings of wildflowers in a clearing in the foreground. While the scene was incredibly beautiful, the true allure of the drawing came from the man drawn in the centre, his mouth open, eyes wrinkled in laughter. He was undoubtedly the focus of the sketch.

The man had short hair, cropped at the sides, and was breathtakingly handsome. Tony felt his cheeks flush at that thought. The man looked kind, hands over his belly in his laughter, looking directly at the artist. The affection was captured perfectly. Tony felt entrapped in the scene, felt as though it was him that the kind eyes were looking at. He wanted to spend forever looking at it, wanted to take in every tiny detail and lock it away in his mind for safe-keeping.

Tony snapped the sketchbook shut as he heard heavy footsteps approaching the den. _Surely Buchanan couldn't be back already?_ He quickly shoved the book back under the blanket. He stood, took two steps away from it, and sat back down, trying to slow his breathing to make it look like he was just resting.

He realised too late that he had forgotten to put some of the other books back into the order they had been in before he had disrupted them. He had a brief moment of panic, heart spiking in his chest.

Becca turned the corner. Tony was sure that she was looking at him strangely, but he didn't think it was just from the sigh of relief that he couldn't help but let out when she came into view.

"Hi, Tony. I was hoping we could have a chat?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm aware that ανεκτίμητος(priceless) is an adjective, so it doesn't really work in this context. But I used it anyways :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warnings: Bucky admits that he would rather have died than have gotten the metal arm, for reasons that haven't been fully explored yet.
> 
> Please take care, your mental health should come first!!! xoxo

Becca sat down in front of him with a small huff. She looked so alike Buchanan that Tony couldn't help but spend the majority of the conversation trying to find differences in their appearances, the metal arm being the most obvious. Buchanan had more brown-freckled scales. The scales around Becca's snout were lighter than Buchanan's. His horns were a little bit thicker than hers.

"Listen, Tony. Bucky has been through a lot, and I'm not going to tell you all about it because it's not my story to tell. But I'd like to ask you to just... hear him out, okay? Give him a chance?"

"Alright? I'm not sure what you mean, though. Buchanan's the one who gave me a chance? _He_ saved _me."_

"You two haven't been together for long, have you?" Becca spoke as softly as her brother, but there was something in her voice that somehow made it so different. Both were kind, both were soft-spoken, but Buchanan was more... captivating. When he spoke, Tony was compelled to listen. He was starting to think that it wasn't just because of the novelty of speaking to a dragon.

"It's been a few days, near a week now." Tony knew that he hadn't known Buchanan for all that long. He knew. But that just left him wanting more. Wanting to know more about him, understand him, experience more with him.

"And has he told you much? About us, I mean," Becca clarified after Tony's nose wrinkled in confusion.

"He mentioned blood mates and pack mates." Becca did not respond, looking at him as if she expected him to continue. Tony shifted.

"That's all he told you?" Becca prompted. "He didn't mention anything else?"

"Well, no. Not really. He didn't exactly talk to me much, apart from when he was asking me to help him with human jobs."

"Oh. You two hardly know one another at all, then, huh?"

"Yeah... I suppose not."

*

Buchanan returned soon after Becca left. He didn't say much to Tony, but he did bring some food for him. Tony thought of saying something to him, starting up a conversation, but he felt he had nothing to say. Buchanan didn't seem to want to talk, curling up and closing his eyes as soon as Tony had finished eating.

Tony, for his part, was rather glad for the quiet. He couldn't get the image of the charcoal drawing out of his mind. He longed to look at it once more. But he knew that he couldn't go back to it, at least not right now, or he'd have to explain to Buchanan that he had been snooping.

He thought of the man in the drawing, his kind eyes and boyish smile. He wondered who it was, who could've drawn it. It must be someone Buchanan knows. 

Tony thought back to the humans that were in the cave when they first arrived. It might have been one of them. Surely, though, he would've noticed if one of them had looked like _that._ Granted, he had been a little bit distracted at the time by the sheer volume of dragons in the room.

Tony wanted to ask Buchanan about it. He really wishes he could. But Buchanan didn't seem too keen on the idea of talking to him after he came back to the den. That was the issue, with what Becca had said to him before. He and Buchanan had spent time together, yes, but the didn't _know_ each other.

Tony wanted to get to know Buchanan, he really, truly did. It didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon if the dragon continued refusing to talk to him.

*

"So, what are you going to do about Tony, Bucky?"

Tony didn't mean to eavesdrop, honest. He just happened to be in the vicinity of others while they were having a conversation. If one of the dragons speaking just happened to be Buchanan, and they just so happened to be talking about him, then that was just a coincidence, wasn't it?

"There's nothing I can--"

"Don't bullshit me, Bucky. You could just tell him the tru--"

"Of course I can't tell him!" Buchanan's voice was raising, sounding almost frantic. Tony hugged closer to the wall of the cave, trying to keep his breathing slow and even as to not give himself away.

"You don't know how he'll react until you tell him, y'know."

"I know exactly how he'll react, Tasha. At first he'll be shoked, he won't understand, then he'll think that it means he has to stay with me even though I'm -- I can't..."

"Bucky." Tony was glad that Natasha's tone had gentled, because it was clear from the tremor in his voice that Buchanan was upset. "You don't know that. He could love you regardless. And we're still looking into a way to--"

"Don't get my hopes up, Tasha, please. I gave up on that a long time ago. And even if Tony does stick around after I tell him -- if I tell him -- he'll only do it out of a sense of obligation. I don't want him to feel like he owes me anything."

"I-- I don't know what to say, Bucky. I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I do think you should tell him anyways. _No,_ let me finish. Whether he stays or not, that should be his decision to make. And he deserves to know, he's a part of this now."

"I don't know if I can--

"I'm not saying that you have to tell him all of it right now, you can go at your own pace. But you need to start telling him the truth. He probably has a lot of unanswered questions right now." _That's an understatement,_ Tony thought.

Tony heard a sniffle. "You're right... I just wish, that, it hadn't happened when I was like this. It makes everything so much harder. I just-- I wish it had never happened." Tony's heart thrummed with a distinct sense of sorrow at the words. Buchanan wished that he had never met Tony. He had no idea that his presence was upsetting the dragon so much. The worst part was that he had no idea _how_ he was upsetting Buchanan, so he didn't know how to make it better.

"You wouldn't be _alive_ if you didn't have the arm, Bucky." 

"I know that, Natasha," Buchanan snapped. "My statement still stands."

Tony was even more confused than he had been a few moments before. It was clear that he had no idea what the two of them were talking about, and that he would just keep on drawing up the wrong conclusions until he knew the full story. Even so, he was certain that Buchanan had just admitted he would rather be dead than have the metal arm. Tony just had no idea what that had to do with him, how the two were linked.

"Bucky... You don't mean that, surely."

"I might."

Tony had heard enough. This morning, Buchanan had left the den, left Tony, with little other than a quick 'good morning' and a pile of food. He hadn't said anything else, at least to Tony, all day. Now, he wishes that he hadn't heard Buchanan speak at all.

Having had nothing to do all day, Tony was not only _bored out of his mind,_ but he also didn't have answers. And now he just had even more questions. Most of all, he just wanted to _help._ Everything he knew so far led him to believe that Buchanan was not alright, and he wanted nothing more than to help him.

Of course, that couldn't happen until he found out what was wrong.


	8. Chapter 8

Tony was sat bundled under some blankets in the den when Buchanan wandered in, looking smaller than Tony had ever seen him. His shoulders hunched, his eyes downcast.

The cave was _freezing._ It chilled Tony to the bone, no matter how many blankets he tucked around his body. The cave was still lit with the warm lighting of the orbs, but the weather had sapped all of the actual heat from the stone surrounding them.

"Winter is coming in early, it seems," Buchanan spoke. Something about the slump to his shoulders told Tony that that's not what Buchanan actally wanted to say.

Tony shivered. "Is something the matter?" He didn't even try to not ask the question, but it did come out slightly harsher than he had intended. He just wants answers. He needs to know what's going on; whether he can get out of the situation or not is another question entirely. Not that it matters, he deserves to know either way.

"Are you too cold?" Buchanan lit up, having found a new purpose that didn't involve _actually_ talking to Tony. "I can go any get you some mor--"

"Buchanan! Sit _down."_ Tony took a deep breath, the cold of the air burning his lungs. "I have some questions to ask you."

Buchanan slumped, losing all of the fight, all of the hope, that he had left in him. He moved closer before sitting down. "What do you want to know?"

"Well," Tony sighed, before scrabbling over to the scetchbook that had the drawing in it, dragging blankets along with him in order to keep warm. He figured that he'd start with something easy for the dragon to answer. He found the page with the drawing of the man and turned it to show Buchanan. "Who's this?"

"That's... That's me."

"Wha-? How?" 

"It's a long story."

"You had better start now, then." Tony, whilst being completely bewildered, was no longer angry. From all that he had overheard from Buchanan's conversation with Natasha, it was a long, sad tale. But, as much as he didn't want to upset he dragon any further, he _needed_ to know what was going on.

"Did you ever get told about the Great War?"

"The war that dragons started with the Kings of Amatus? I've heard the legends, but that was hundreds of years ago. What does that have to do with you?"

"That's not quite how it happened. We once had a peace treaty with the Kings, but the Hydra infected each of their court's, one by one. We were the main enemy of the Hydra at the time, you see. It took near decades, but the First King, Baldemar, was eventually blinded by their magic. The rest of the Kings followed soon after. Together they drew up plans for an attack against us, one that would mark the beginning of the Great War."

"But how did the Hydra infect the courts? They're magical creatures, it would be a bit obvious if one of them attempted such a thing."

"The Hydra, like dragons, are creatures of great magic. Both have existed before even the founding of the Kingdoms, before Amatus. We were blessed with a power to change into human bodies whenever the need arose, in order to go about our lives without struggle, and to be accepted by humans."

"So that's how... it's you in the drawing," Tony said on a deep breath, still clutching the sketchbook in his hands. "So why have I never seen you like that now?"

"Please, let me finish? Tony, I need to say this," he pleaded. Tony nodded for him to continue. "The Great War ended with the loss of many Hydra at the battle of Gwythian, many years later. The Queen of Sostherne, Azami, had lost her husband in the final battle. She blamed us dragons for her husband's death, and so she led one final attack on us, one that no one hears about when the Great War is brought up." Buchanan paused.

"I don't know my own history nearly and well, I can't even imagine... You talk about it as if you were there."

Buchanan chuckled humourlessly. "I was."

"I... don't understand."

"I commanded the dragons against Azami, I led them into battle. I was wounded," Buchanan choked out. He took a moment to get himself together. Tony couldn't blame him, he couldn't even imagine how the dragon must be feeling. "I lost my arm in the battle, and the healers in the group used really advanced magic, with the help of the Dryads, to make me this arm. I would have died without it, but it was welded into my flesh and bone. There's no way that it can be removed without killing me."

"Why would you even _want_ to remove it then?!"

"Because having this means that I can't turn back into my human body, because that body is missing an arm. If I tried it would tear this arm from my body," Buchanan said slowly, as if it pained him. His ears were flat against his head; Tony had never seen someone look so sad.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I... That was really insensitive of me to ask."

"It's alright, you didn't know. There's... There's nothing I want more than to be able to turn back." Tony shivered, though whether it was from the cold or from Buchanan's lowered voice, he couldn't tell.

Either way, the dragon noticed. Tony felt the end of his tail gently wrap around his ankle. The warmth seeped into his skin and spread up his leg, into the rest of his body. Tony gasped, instinctively recoiling, but the hold that the dragon had on him was too strong to break. He knew without thinking that Buchanan would let him go if that was what he really wanted. "Wha--?"

"Magic," Buchanan simply said.

Tony shifted closer to the dragon. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Tony," Buchanan replied, voice full of affection.

"Why do you want to be in your human body so much?"

Buchanan sighed, as if he knew exactly what Tony was going to ask. As if he was dreading having to answer.

"You don't have to answer that, Bucky, forget I said anything."

"It's alright, Tony, you deserve to know." Buchanan shuffled closer to Tony, pulling him closer to his body to share body heat. "You remember how Becca called you my bond mate?"

"Yeah?" Tony had definitely been extremely confused by that, so he would be lying if he said that he wasn't excited to find out what it meant.

"A bond mate is someone who is chosen to become the partner to a dragon, the bond becomes stronger with the more time the mates spend with one another. Usually, a bond mate will be another dragon, but sometimes it's a human." Buchanan took a deep breath, steeling himself. "You were destined to be tied to my soul."

The words crackled through the air. Everything was starting to make sense. This explained why Buchanan had been so unwilling to talk to him, why he was usually away when they were still living in the other cave. Buchanan didn't want to get close to him...

"You think that you need to be human for me to want to stay with you."

"Are you saying that's not true?"

"Bucky, you're so much more than the body you were given. Listen, I don't know how, but we can figure something out; I know we can."

"It's not that easy, Tony," Buchanan was adamant.

"Why? I'm sure we'll be able to think of something. And I want to get to know you, Bucky, and I definitely want to stay here with you."

"You... you're taking this a lot better than I thought you would. But there are a lot of issues you need to know about first, before you can really decide what you want." Bucky's ears were starting to perk up, his shoulders relaxing. It hit Tony in that moment that he wanted to do whatever it took to make the dragon feel better. Not from any sense of obligation, but because he genuinely _liked_ what he knew about the dragon so far - how caring and compassionate he was - and he wanted the chance to give that back to him. To take his tenderness and to pay it back in kind.

"Alright, hit me," Tony said, enthusiasm and raw determination in his voice.

"Well, first of all, we can't complete the bond if I'm in this form."

"Oh. Why not?" Tony asked, refusing to let his determination die out so quickly.

"Because, the bonding can only take place during a mating." Bucky let out a chuckle, presumably at the confused wrinkle upon Tony's brow. "We would need to have sex, and we can't do that if I'm in this body. I'd rip you to shreds."

Tony felt his face light up, and he was certain that Bucky noticed the blush too, if his laughter was anything to go by.

"A full bond isn't necessary," Bucky assured, mirth still twinkling in his eyes. "In some cases, bond mates never achieve a full bond, and are quite content that way. It's just something that you need to be aware of, you need to think about whether or not you would be happy without a full bond."

"I, ah, I just want to get to know you better for now?"

"I want to get to know you too, Tony," Bucky said, such a gentle expression on his face that it warmed Tony's heart. "The other issue is that I'm never going to be able to use my human body again -- Natasha has theories of different ways it might be possible, but I gave up on that a long time ago."

"I know it won't be easy, but I know that we can work something out. And I'd like to learn more about dragons... and the Old Language." Tony intended for it to be a statement, but the slight lilt to the words made it more of a question.

"Oh," Bucky breathed, an expression of pure wonder on his face. His voice sounded a little bit tight when he said, "It would be my honour, to teach you."

*

Tony went to sleep that night on a pile of blankets, with a warm dragon wrapped around him, content and happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a firm believer that cuddling or any other physical contact when having a serious conversation makes the experience 10x better


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for how long this chapter took!! Life has been kicking my butt recently, but I made this and now I'm gifting it to you!!
> 
> Warning for a brief mention of domestic abuse.

"So you think we can do it?" Tony asked, unable to mask the excitement in his voice. He had been formulating this plan in his head ever since Bucky had first told him the story behind his metal arm. For the first week, he had only had vague ideas of how to do it, but he soon realised that he would need help if it was going to work.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes, I think we can," Natasha said. Her voice betrayed no emotion, but Tony knew from all of the time he had spent with her that she was just as excited as he was, if not more so. Plus, the way that her tail swished behind her in pride gave her away.

They had gone over every tiny detail of the plan, the people that they would need help from, the magic they would have to use. It would all turn out perfectly.

_"Great,"_ Tony breathed. They didn't have much time left before Bucky returned from his trip to check the traps, quickly going over the details one last time before separating.

It had been a few weeks since their conversation about Bucky's predicament. After that, everything had seemed to click into place. Tony was never uncomfortable in Buckys presence, and they were even starting to form a healthy - and tactile - relationship, much to their mutual happiness.

Tony was relieved when he found out that many of the dragons had returned to using their human forms around the cave. They were sweet, to all stay as dragons just so Bucky didn't have to explain things before he was ready to. Tony was happy beyond belief that Bucky had such good friends. And now they were his friends too. Over the last week, he had been spending more and more time with them all, most of all Nat and Bruce.

Tony was so proud of his plan that he was practically skipping on his way back to the den. His heart was leaping, and he felt the rest of his body trying to keep up with it. It was strange for him; he was so used to his head leading him in everything that the pure joy in his chest was overwhelming.

Entering the den, Tony harrumphed at the state of it. The blankets there had been left in a messy pile from where they had been kicked about during the night. He pushed all of the blankets to one side of the room, paying no mind to the cold stone touching his bare feet. This was far more important than having warm feet. Taking one of the biggest, fuzziest blankets, he draped it over the floor of the den. After pausing briefly to award himself a pleased nod, he continued in his mission, spreading blanked after blanket on top one of another. He tucked and folded blankets over and over, determined to get everything just right. 

He was in the middle of fluffing a cute checkered pillow when he heard a throat clearing behind him. He startled, glancing over his shoulder to see Bucky standing at the entrance of the den. 

Grinning, Tony threw his hand over his heart, playing up his distress, "Bucky! You scared the life out of me!"

Bucky only grinned back, not convinced by Tony's acting at all. "What're you doing, Tones?" He walked around to Tony's side to better see what he was doing.

"Oh, just tidying up the den a bit, making it all cosy." He continued fluffing the pillow that was still clutched in one hand.

Bucky sat down abruptly beside him.

Tony turned his attention to the dragon, placing the pillow down gently at the top of a small fuzzy blanket. "Everything alright?"

"Uhm, yeah, just-" Bucky cut himself off, glancing around the den as if he could find the answer to Tony's question within the cosy decoration. He turned and nuzzled his nose into Tony's chest, letting out a content hum. "I'm just surprised, is all."

"Oh?" Now, evidently, it was Tony's turn to be confused. He placed his hand upon Bucky's head regardless, rubbing the sensitive skin behind his ear with his thumb. "Why's that?"

"Well... You're making a cosy space for us," Bucky explained. "You're nesting."

"Nesting?" Tony was unconcerned - there had been so many instances of miscommunication between them that Tony had learned to wait for a full explanation before he made a judgement. Although sometimes it was difficult for him to accept that he didn't understand something that other people did. "What's that?"

"Dragons in a comfortable bond make nests when they feel safe enough to settle somewhere. It means you want to stay."

"Oh. Is that the same with humans in a bond?"

"I... don't really know." Bucky pushed his head into Tony's hand, searching for more scritches. Tony granted them to him happily. After a pause, Bucky asked, "Do you want to stay?"

"Bucky," Tony said on an over the top, long-suffering sigh, but then planted a chaste kiss on the top of is head anyway. He leaned back slightly to look in Bucky's eyes, trying to convey the honesty of his words. "Of course I want to stay. I love being here with you."

"And I love that you're here, Tony, don't get me wrong." Tony's stomach clenched in fear, sensing a 'but' coming, with the intention of ruining the nice little life that he has only just managed to get with Bucky. "But, do you never think about going back to your village?"

Ah.

There it is. The 'but'.

"I'm not going to lie to you, I have thought about it. But that doesn't mean that I want it," Tony assured him. "I love being here with you infinately more than I ever enjoyed being there."

"Are you sure? There isn't anything that you miss? Family? Friends?"

"I had... I had Rhodey. And Pepper. I miss them. And my metal forge." He very carefully avoided mentioning his father, hoping that Bucky wouldn't pick up on it.

Bucky, of course, picked up on it.

But he was a great boyfriend (is that what they were?), so he didn't mention it.

"Rhodey and Pepper were your...?" He asked, quite obviously fishing.

"My best friends. They were... there for me, throughout everything."

"Everything?"

Everything. God, where did he even start? Everything. Everything from being the enablers for his first mead, to praising him for the first sword he ever made. Everything from applying ointments to his wounds (thanks, father), to chastising him when he got himself in trouble with the ruffians from the next village over. Everything from being the first people who ever showed him affection that wasn't used to manipulate, to being the only people he could tell when he was sad, scared, angry (or a mix of all three).

"Lets just say that, while I miss them, I'd much rather they were here than me being back at the village," Tony explained. "Besides, they no doubt think I'm dead."

A low growl eminated from Bucky's chest at the thought. Tony took Bucky's face in his hands, giving him a light, comforting squeeze. With Bucky gazing so lovingly into his eyes (so fiercely loving), Tony knew that he had found his new home.

The village be damned.

*

They didn't tell Bucky about their plan; Tony wanted too, but Nat had suggested keeping it from him as to not get his hopes up. The plan had far too many variables, so telling him would not be wise. If one tiny detail did not turn out how they wanted it, the whole plan would fall to pieces.

Tony needed this to work.

The first order of business was to speak to the Dryads. Natasha had informed him that there were a group of friendly Dryads that lived next to the nearby pond - they would hopefully be willing to help him.

At first, Tony had been confused by the fact that the Dryads could help in such a situation. He had always been told that they were simply tree dwellers with little magic. Then again, most of the information that he had been taught about dragons was incorrect. 

As it turns out, the Dryads were actually their best chance at being able to give Bucky a new arm, so that he could return to his human form whenever he pleased. They, according to Nat, had a connection with the earth and the flora and fauna that would give them what they needed to make sure that Bucky came to no harm during the process. Their magic was powerful, Tony just needed them to use it to his advantage.

He had studied hard to learn how to properly approach them. They tended to be shy, and he had to be careful not to offend them. Spending so much time learning new things was in no way a hardship for him - he had a wonderful incentive. Learning about magic and magical creatures with Natasha and Bucky was one of his new favourite things to do. Being able to help people with it just made it even better.

Approaching the pond, Tony took a deep breath and thought back to everything he had been thought by Nat, everything that he had read about in the old books that the dragons kept. The worn cloth bag that he was carrying made his shoulder throb.

His heart leapt when he first caught a glimpse of a Dryad, only to find that she had already caught him in her gaze. She was distinctly humanoid, with green patches of moss coating her skin in a unique pattern. She blended in so nicely with the foliage surrounding her, and Tony found himself appreciating the beauty of it. The Dryad and her nature, one and the same, intertwined. Coexistent, codependent, coeternal.

The Dryad looked at him with wide eyes, he was sure that his face mirrored the expression.

"Hi there," Tony began, "I came to ask you for a favour. Well, you and your companions."

"You wish to use our magic," the Dryad stated. Her voice was far lower than he had expected it to be, gravelly and rough, though she blushed as she spoke.

Other Dryads soon gathered around, curious gazes fixed on Tony, all listening attempt to the conversation.

"Um, kind of. Your magic could really help my friend. He's in a lot of pain that he doesn't deserve to be in."

"You are a human. I am sorry, we cannot help you more than we already do." Tony's heart dropped.

"But my friend! He's a dragon, and he's stuck, and I need your help." Tony was frantic. "Please, please."

"What is your name, human?"

"Tony, um, Anthony."

There was a rising of chatter amongst the other Dryads, although they quieted down as soon as Tony turned to them, inquisitive.

"Anthony, I see. Tell me what you need from us."

"Really? Oh, thank you, thank you."

"I haven't given you my answer yet. Tell me what you need and then we will make our decision."

Tony paused to catch his breath. "We're going to need hawthorn, meadowsweet, chickweed and turmeric. But we need some of your magic to be used on them. What we plan to do is going to be dangerous, and we need as much healing magic as we can get."

"This is going to take up a lot of our resources. What do we get in return?"

Natasha had told him that this was going to happen, and thankfully they had something in mind.

"The book that was stolen from you during the Water War. The Artemias Milas. The dragons have it and they're willing to restore it to you."

Expectedly, the crowd of Dryads began to chatter in excitement amongst themselves. One, more confident than the rest, called out, "How do we know you're telling the truth?"

"I have it here with me," Tony said, pulling the bag off his shoulder. He opened its buttoned clasps gently, we'll aware of the value of its contents. The book, heavy with it's knowledge, had been weighing him down, so it was a relief when he slung the now-empty bag back over one shoulder. He held the book out as an offering to the Dryads.

Many of them were now gazing at the book in awe. Taking it and holding it close to her chest, the original Dryad spoke again, voice lighter than ever: "We will help you, Anthony."

*

When Tony returned to the cave, a huge weight lifted off his shoulders (literally and figuratively), he was quickly and silently whisked away by Natasha. She took him into her den, managing to avoid all of the others on the way. Tony doesn't know how she does it. Magic, he assumed.

"Did you do it?" She inquired.

"I did it."

Natasha's teeth flashed in a smile. Her red hair glinted dangerously in the light as she gave Tony a sharp nod, shooting him off. 

"You know what you need to do next," she began, "but you need to go to Bucky before he gets worried."

Tony left to find his dragon, practically glowing with pride from Natasha's obvious happiness. He had quickly learned that it wasn't common to get such open positive feedback from her.

He quickly found Bucky in the den, curled up in a tight ball and snoring softly. Shaking off the day, Tony decided to join him for a quick nap before their pack feast.


End file.
